The present invention relates to wipers used in automotive applications for wiping glass surfaces, and more particularly to a singular wiper which is capable of wiping multiple and independent glass surfaces.
Motor vehicles having rear gate/door glass are frequently equipped with one or more wipers, a wiper being needed for each independent glass surface. As shown at FIG. 1, motor vehicles 10 having two side-hinged doors 12L, 12R also have two independent rear glasses 14L, 14R. Conventionally, for each rear glass 14L, 14R a separate wiper 16L, 16R must be respectively provided. The reason for this is the multiplicity and independence of the rear glasses 14L, 14R. A wiper 16L which wipes the glass surface 18L of one rear glass 14L cannot wipe the glass surface 18R of the other rear glass 14R because they are separated by a discontinuity 20 in the form of elevated door skins 22L, 22R and the gap 24 between the doors.
A separate wiper for each multiple and independent glass surface requires a multiplicity of wipers, as well as the assembly costs for the necessary multiple installations on a single vehicle. Additionally each of the multiple installations involve added weight, wiring and servicing.
Accordingly, if a single wiper could somehow wipe multiple and independent surfaces, then a number of advantages would be realized as compared to the conventional practice of providing at least one wiper per glass surface, including: improvement of visibility, increased driver satisfaction, reduction of cost and weight, and better durability and dependability inherently emanating from a single wiper servicing multiple and independent surfaces.
The present invention is a singular wiper for wiping multiple and independent surfaces which obviates the conventional need for a wiper respectively for each of the surfaces.
The wiper for multiple and independent surfaces includes a wiper motor assembly, a wiper arm connected to the wiper motor assembly, a blade assembly connected to the wiper arm, and a cam having a cam profile. The wiper motor assembly reciprocates the wiper arm and thereby reciprocates the blade assembly over a predetermined range of reciprocation. The cam profile interacts with the wiper arm in a normal direction that is generally perpendicular to the plane of reciprocation of the wiper assembly so as to selectively regulate contact of the blade assembly with various surfaces disposed in the range of reciprocation of the blade assembly.
In an example of operation, a motor vehicle has left and right rear doors, each being provided with a rear glass that is independent of the other. The wiper motor assembly is mounted upon either the left or the right rear door, and the cam is also mounted thereto. The blade assembly reciprocates over a range of reciprocation which includes both rear glasses. In operation, during reciprocation of the wiper arm, the blade assembly wipes the surfaces of both of the rear glasses. The wiper arm is guidably moved in a normal direction by the cam profile, wherein the blade assembly translates away at portions of the drop glasses adjacent the discontinuity between the rear glasses so as to non-contactingly traverse the discontinuity. By way of example, the discontinuity may include rear door skin that is elevated in relation to the rear glass surfaces, which skin is non-contactingly traversed during reciprocation.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a singular wiper apparatus which is capable of wiping multiple and independent surfaces.
This and additional objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become clearer from the following specification of a preferred embodiment.